Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. Boosts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 0.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 70 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for 2.2% of Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. owned 0.06% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $3,394,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $643,825,000 after purchasing an additional 22,190 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,999,779 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $331,503,000 after purchasing an additional 173,210 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% during the 4th quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $224,504,000 after purchasing an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $187,573,000 after purchasing an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 806,438 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $133,718,000 after purchasing an additional 24,733 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA opened at $164.16 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.64 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a fifty day moving average of $156.58 and a 200 day moving average of $159.23. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $200.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The company had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $402.60 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.24%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.